Of Riches And Ruin
by The Grimm Storyteller
Summary: In 1463, a young human girl turns up at the Originals doorstep. She was half dead, yet they still took her in. They cared for her and watched her grow. They were her family. This is the story of Ingrid Mikaelson, the girl raised by vampires.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Another TVD story. There isn't going to be any particular pairing in this. I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't, nor will I ever, own the Vampire Diaires**

_Prologue_

The little girl was scraggly and as good as dead. Hr clothes were little more than dirty rags. Her shawl was far too thin to keep out even some of the winter chill. So, lips and fingertips blue, she trudged onwards with the little strength she had. Then she saw it. A castle. Straight in front of her. Maybe the people there would take the smallest bit of pity on her and let her in.

It took her a full hour to reach the castle. When she did, she was barely able to stand upright. Frozen fingers reached for the chain linked to the doorbell. Slowly, she pulled her. The sound of the bells ringing inside reached her ears.

It took a few minutes, but to her they felt like hours, but someone answered the door. It was a woman. She looked flawless and truly beautiful. Her blonde hair was curled slightly and her brown eyes stared at the girl with shock. The girl only had the time to utter one single word is a raspy voice before she passed out. " Help"


	2. Chapter I

**A/N: Hey! I finally updated one of my stories *gasp* This Chapter is just a flashback about Ingrid. Its quite important, though. The next chapter will pick up where the prologue left off**

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Chapter I

One Week ago

The young girl looked exhausted dragging the bucket of water back to her house. It didn't help that she was shivering profoundly. The cold winter seeping in through her tattered dress. It was the warmest thing she owned. Her parents couldn't feed her and her five siblings as well as buy the, new clothes so they had to make do. This was one of her older sister, Gwendolyn's old dresses that she had before she got married.

Marriage. Eurgh. How she despised the word. As soon as she hit her 15th year, her parents were planning on marrying her off. One less mouth to feed.

She finally reached her home. An old cottage just on the outskirts of the village. It was made of stone yet practically falling apart. Having the bucket

inside, the 10 year old's messy blonder hair fell into her face, covering her green eyes. She quickly blew it out of the way.

" Finally! We'd thought you'd got lost or maybe fallen down a rabbit hole and got stuck. You are rather small, sister." The girl smiled. Her brother, Richard, was the comical one in the family and loved to make jokes. After he finished speaking, he launched himself at his little sister and started tickling her.

She started giggling whilst trying to get away from him. " Let me go, Ri!" She screeched, using her nickname for him.

He gave her a smirk before shouting" NEVER!" Their happy moment didn't last long until their Father's booming voice filled the room!

" RICHARD! Aren't you a bit old for silly little child's games? Ingrid, I want you to come into the forest with me to collect fire wood."

The siblings stopped their antics before replying, " Yes, Father." Luck was truly not on her side that day. She'd just got in from the cold and now she was going back out again. Her father threw her a torn and dirty piece of fabric. Her shawl.

They didn't talk as they entered the forest. Ingrid had gotten a bad feeling. Surely they didn't have to go this far in just for fire wood? Suddenly her father stopped then picked up a branch. Ingrid frowned. It looked far too big to be used for fire wood. Her father turned his back on her. " I'm so sorry, girl. I care for you. Truly. You are my flesh in blood, my youngest child. Yet,at the youngest you have the least chance of survival. We don't have the money to look after you anymore. We love you so much, Ingrid. I'm sorry." This comfused her greatly. What was he sorry about? Then he swiftly turned around and hit her head full force with the branch, effectively knocking her out.

She awoke on the forest floor, darkness around her. Night had fallen, making it hard to young girl looked to sky. A full moon. She'd heard the stories about the wolves in the forest on a full moon. They were just myth, though? Surely, they were just tales to scare small children. Ingrid was suddenly awake of a large pain in her head. She put a hand in her forehead but quickly moved it away when she felt something sticky on it. Blood. The reality of the situation slowly started to sink in.

Ingrid started to walk around, praying to find a way out of this forest. Then she heard snuffling . That was followed by a howl. Maybe the wolves were real.

The howl was responded to by multiple others. She was awake of a growling behind her and did then only thing she could think of. Run.

She ran as fast as her 10 year old legs could carry her. She made the mistake of turning around, the wolves were gaining on her. Ten she noticed it. A tree. It looked about the right height with the right branches for her to climb. She turned her path towards it. When she reached it, the little blonde child started to climb. She refused to look back down at the wolves, acting as if they weren't there. Ingrid let out a shriek of pain. One of the wolves had managed to jump and take a bite out of her leg. Scrambling up the tree faster, the girl tried to block out the pain.

When she finally got to the top of the tree, the girl succumbed to a nightmare filled sleep.

-Five Days Ago-

She was still stuck in the damn forest! It was driving her insane. Not only that, but she was pretty sure that the bite on her leg was infected. The cold was harsh against her skin. Ingrid was scared. She was going to die out here. Alone.

She trudged forward still. The tiniest bit of hope flickered inside of her, egging her onwards. The blonde wasn't done fighting just yet, no matter how much easier it would be to give up.

-Four Days Ago-

Her hope had practically diminished into nothing in the last 24 hours. She couldn't find food or water. The cold bit at her skin like the wolves. It was terrifying. Hunger made her dizzy and start to lose all sense of direction.

-Two Days Ago-

She was dying, the weather and malnutrition was killing her. Starvation. She'd known that would kill her. Ingrid had known it for a while. She was got the smaller shares of food that were barely enough to survive on. The blonde was ready to greet death as an old friend when he came for her.

Then she got there, the edge of the forest. Searching for days and she had finally found it. In the distant, she could see a castle. Maybe they could help her there, if she didn't die on the way. Slowly but surely, Ingrid's hope started to come back.

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**A/N: So, what do you guys think? Good? Bad? Reviews are always appreciated :D**


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